Donald Trump's tariffs and trade wars caused the current economic issues in the United States.

Posted by The MeidasTouch Podcast, Sep 15, 2026Checked Nov 2, 2026

Polygraph verdictMixed

Sources: 3 contradict3 support3 context
Said: 1 time·
Confidence: 60%

The MeidasTouch PodcastSep 15, 2026

Sources support that Trump's tariffs have raised consumer prices and failed to deliver the promised manufacturing revival, but they also attribute the inflation and economic strain partly to the US-Israel war with Iran and its oil-price effects, and they report GDP growing at about 2.2%.

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… You know, often economic crises sometimes evolve over time when the pipes and the plumbing of the economy have a blind spot, and it's not the fault always of the people in charge—they have to respond and react to it. This issue has purely been caused by Donald Trump, and sadly, it's the perfect storm: his tariffs and trade wars against the world, his erosion of U.S. Credibility, destruction of credibility of the United States as a reliable, predictable, grown-up, serious actor. …

The MeidasTouch Podcast · Sep 15, 2026· from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. The BBC reports inflation pressure comes from both tariffs and the US-Israel war with Iran, and the Economist says the Iran war has sent oil prices soaring, so tariffs are not the sole driver of current economic issues.[1][4][5]

Contradicts. The US economy is growing at a respectable clip (about 2.2% annualized, faster than the IMF forecast after the tariff announcement), which weakens the claim that tariffs caused broad current economic problems.[4][5]

Supports. The New York Fed estimates Trump's tariffs pushed up consumer goods prices by roughly 2%, and Yale's Budget Lab estimates they cost the average household $1,100 this year.[5][7]

Supports. Trade experts and a German Economic Institute study say tariffs have failed to cut the US trade deficit and have not produced the promised factory renaissance, with manufacturing employment below its January 2025 level.[6][8]

Context. The Tax Foundation and Reuters note that tariff impacts have been smaller than feared, with effective rates around 7–10%, and that Trump eased and re-imposed tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs in February 2026.[2][3][9]